Libby crash victims identified

A two-car collision on U.S. 2 about six miles west of Libby killed five people Monday morning.

Names of the victims were released overnight.

Jack R. Flasche, 68, his wife Lois L. Flasche, 66, and their backseat passenger, 55-year-old Theresa C. Merritt — all of Troy — died in the accident. Sherry Lynn Thompson, 41, and her 10-year-old daughter, Kendra — both of Eureka — also died.

Thompson's 16-year-old son, Braden, was transported to St. John's Lutheran Hospital in Libby and then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The teen was a front-seat passenger. His condition was unknown.

The wreckage closed the highway for several hours as multiple agencies responded to the scene, said Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Bryce Ford.

The crash happened just after 10 a.m. and involved a westbound GMC Yukon sport-utility vehicle and an eastbound Dodge Stratus passenger car.

All three people in the Stratus, a male driver and two females, died. The woman driver of the Yukon and a juvenile female who was ejected also died. A juvenile male passenger in the Yukon survived, and was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment.

"We're still investigating," said Ford, who added only that it was more of a "T-bone" collision rather than a direct head-on crash.

Ford said traffic was restored after about four hours by opening a fog lane on the highway. Other responders included the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office and Troy and Libby fire and ambulance.